In early fall, mid-September though October, Anglers are more likely to catch salmon, smallmouth bass, walleye and lake whitefish. Yes, I know bass traditionally spawn in the spring. In truth, they fight harder than largemouth and they jump higher. If the water temperature continues to rise slightly, the smallmouth bass is ready for spawning. We took off out of East Chicago and were in Chicago, Illinois and Gary, Indiana. Look to the shallows of Burt Lake when the bass season opens. "Usually right after the season opens the bass are in 2 to 3 feet of water just prior to spawning or during the spawn," said Montie. The following is a breakdown of the seasons and some patterns that are consistent for catching Smallmouth Bass on Lake St. Clair. After the male has built the bed, he waits for a female to venture into the area. pretty remarkable considering that the Michigan state record smallmouth bass is a whopping 9.25lbs, and caught in 1906. Spawning bass can be found in Maple and Bullhead bays and in … In late fall, November through December, brown trout and steelhead will be biting. Just looking for a starting point. But I’m telling you, there is a weird thing that I and some of my nut bag brethren have seen first-hand: a fall — albeit, false — spawn. Southern Lake Michigan smallmouth bass fishing. Ice however, usually starts to form at launch sites by late November, so fishing in December is limited. 2 / 15 . Like Anchor Bay or the channels? And while not all of those waters hold fishable populations of smallmouth bass, many do. The state touches four of the five Great Lakes and is home to tens of thousands of miles of rivers and streams. And if there is a better state for smallmouth bass fishing than Michigan, it has yet to reveal itself. Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Great Lakes, Lake Champlain and other large natural lakes in the north can be fantastic, but it can also be frustrating when trying to find brown bass in those vast expanses of water. Much of the early-season fishing for smallies is sight-fishing. Knowing the seasonal patterns of smallmouth is the key to finding these fish on massive fisheries. This will be my first year exploring St. Clair during the spawn. Michigan’s Lake St Clair isn’t just famous for its big fish, but also for its incredible numbers of smallmouth bass. B This image is the first time White caught a smallmouth in the act of constructing a nest. Typically where do these smallies spawn? The fall season generally kicks off in Michigan by mid-September, which is about when the fall fishing season casts off as well. One of these days someone is bound to hook into and land a verified 9lb smallmouth bass on Lake St Clair. 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